How many people were outraged when Ned Stark...(spoilers)

[PureChaos]

He's played by Sean Bean so, as others have said, it was no surprised he died! As soon as I saw Sean Bean was in it I knew he would die. Would have liked him to be in it a bit longer than he was but oh well

 

[Jedi-Hunter4]

When I read the books, Eddard's death was the moment I realized Ice & Fire was going to be different from other series. The only man ruled by personal honor -- the guy we're supposed to root for, the guy who "wins" in most fiction -- is beheaded with his own sword on the whim of a foolish boy.

I wasn't outraged. I took a minute to think, then realized I was pretty sure I liked the series better for making characters suffer realistic consequences for their actions. I miss Eddard, but I miss other characters who died, too.

Pretty much my reaction as well. Thought the idea that he knew how to fight a war but not how to play the political battle was a good one as well. Which I think is a fine example of what makes the series so good. The characters are real. A man who is born into his power and General and a Soldier with a code of honor may be a terrifying prospect in a strait battle but he's not going to know squat about a political trickery.

===============DO NOT READ ON IF YOU DO NOT WANT EVEN AN INKLING OF A SPOILER==================

There's one exception I can think of where I was like, yer that makes no sense for the character at all, not even slightly, but I won't bring it up and spoil it for people. I love how cut throat he is with the characters, to the point where so many I like have died I actively try not to get attached. But I do think as the series has gone on he has become dangerously attached with tyrion and daenerys to the point I am a bit worried the end might be a bit dissatisfying.

EDIT:

Disappointed, but not outraged. It lets you know what this series is: a soap opera.

Disappointed because he seemed like the only decent character. Just my tastes, but none of the others are at all likable. If I'm going to spend that much time with a book/show I want at someone to be likable. No outrage because this kind of storytelling is nothing new.

This series is one of those "lets heap misery on everyone" kind of stories. If you enjoy that kind of story, you'll like this series. If not, move along to something else and don't waste your time.

I disagree on the "lets heap misery on everyone" thing. Everyone's woes in the story are brought upon by the agendas of other characters, and some of the time the characters bring tragedy upon themselves as a result of their own flaws.

Yer soap opera is a little harsh....To me I just think it's being realistic, when you have a heap of people all with their own aspirations trying to screw each other over I think your going to be hard pressed to believe the majority will come out well, if at all from it.

Wouldn't say it's a "lets heap misery on everyone" story either, The Road was a lets heap misery on everyone. People don't tend to be cheery and living the high life in a Civil war......

 

[Sigmund Av Volsung]

I was fine with it. I don't like any of the Starks except Arya and Sansa. I especially didn't like Ned, he was an idiot. Like you said, he dug his own grave.

I was also expecting it to happen, since at the beginning of the show/book when they found a direwolf litter, the parent has been killed by a stag. With the series's reputation for killing off main characters (and the house symbols), I didn't think it could mean anything else.

Naive, perhaps, but not an idiot.

He didn't trusted few in the council, but he was killed by his own honour, as he, like Robert Baratheon were relics of a bygone, better age.

I was annoyed, and personally, I only really like Arya, Jon is a mirror of his father, Robb is eh, and Sansa is useless.

 

[The Funslinger]

If my favorite character (Cersei) is still alive and kicking, all is right with the world.

If she died...

RAGE RAGE RAGE... sudden realization I have never read any of the books or watched any of the episodes and only like the character because she the closest thing the world will ever get to a competent real-life Azula.

I wouldn't say she's competent. Blind and cocky, more like.

OT: It's a shame. I liked Ned. I picked up the books after watching series 1, so his death was unexpected for me (aside from the Sean Bean effect, of course.)

Still better than the atrocity that will be in the second Last Airbender movie.

Wait, that's being made?

*pulls knife* don't joke about this! Tell me it's not true, it can't be!

 

[Risingblade]

I guess he was better in the show than in the books.

 

[VoidWanderer]

It made me think of Spooks, a BBC TV show where main characters get killed, and one of them gets killed in the most horrifying fashion I can think of.

When I saw the Ned decided against aligning with the two people who offered to help him, I understood immediately that he was going to end up dead. It made sense and it is one of the reasons why I really enjoy the show. The thing is with politics it is an verbal version of the Art of War. If you cannot get who you want to act through diplomacy, employ any other means to succeed.

Men with honor are rare, but a man who understands that honor sometimes must be placed aside to accomplish the goal is a man to be truly feared.

 

[GloatingSwine]

People who were outraged are the kind of people who aren't suited for the 'reality ensues' aspect of ASOIAF.

Spoiler: A Storm of Swords spoilers

Robb's death pissed me off a lot more, but my outrage was mainly directed at the Freys and Boltons. My main non-story complaint was that it was basically just a repeat of what happens to Ned: standard fantasy hero is doing well, bad shit happened but he seems to have overcome it, he makes a mistake and blam, reality ensues.

Spoiler

Though really he hadn't done anything plot significant for the last half a book at least, and all the stuff that caused him to get the chop happened off screen and we're only told about it in dispatches.

That kind of writing also contributed to the reason that I didn't pick the series back up after the interminable wait for Feast for Crows, because it was kinda OK, but nowhere near what the general internet consensus held it to be. That and I'm pretty sure that basically no possible climax and ending could be satisfactory after a story that's bobbled along for so long and sprawled so comprehensively, and what will actually happen is that it will just sort of peter out and stop rather than coming to a satisfactory close.

 

[Bat Vader]

Honestly, I was pretty much expecting it. Mainly because they picked Sean Bean to play the part.

Spoiler

Since we all know that Sean Bean dies in everything.

Pretty much this. Oh, and having read the books as well, I could safely expect Ned to die. It didn't cut back on the emotional charge, though, and I still was outraged, at least in a certain sense. I'm really looking forward to Joff getting kicked out of the playing field.

Props to Jack Gleeson for playing a murderous sociopath so well, I guess. I hear that actors have to come to live with the fact that some fans aren't going to be able to discern between the character and themselves, which can lead to some pretty odd instances of complete strangers flipping the bird at you...

Really? Some fans can't discern between a real person and a fictional persona they represent on TV or in a movie?

 

[One of Many]

Honestly, I was pretty much expecting it. Mainly because they picked Sean Bean to play the part.

Spoiler

Since we all know that Sean Bean dies in everything.

False! Sean Bean doesn't die in everything. He survives all of the Sharpe series, which are made-for-tv-movies. It helps that he's playing the main character, Richard Sharpe but he doesn't die. Gets his ass handed to him almost every time but he lives!


OT: Not rage, I read the book, I knew it was coming. Wanted to choke Joffrey though, just cause he's a little shit.

 

[IamLEAM1983]

Really? Some fans can't discern between a real person and a fictional persona they represent on TV or in a movie?

Yes, really. You haven't grown up with aunts obsessed with "Days of Our Lives", and it shows. Let's just say that some people can get so invested in any property that the actors phase out of existence. There's nothing *but* the role remaining. Of course, that's far from the norm.

Feel free to nose around YouTube. I'm pretty sure I've run into instances where Jack Gleeson himself mentions getting fairly arch looks from some people because, well, there's some folk for whom he never really stops being Joffrey Baratheon. It's just the nature of fandom. Some people are intense, some people are VERY intense, and others, well...

It's just people being people. I don't really think I need to provide more examples of this.

 

[octafish]

If people are upset by that they are going to lose their shit when we get to the Red Wedding...

 

[Squidbulb]

I don't see why you'd get angry about this. It would be a pretty terrible story if the good guys always won and nothing bad ever happened.

 

[M K Ultra]

If people are upset by that they are going to lose their shit when we get to the Red Wedding...

shhhh...!

Pay no attention to the rambling of Octafish, there's nothing significant about the red wedding...

wanders off whistling "The Rains of Castamere"

 

[Kungfu_Teddybear]

It didn't bother me. I knew it was coming because:

A) I'd read the book.
B) Sean Bean was playing the part.

Besides, there are far more likable characters in ASOIAF.

 

[Bara_no_Hime]

Honestly, I was pretty much expecting it. Mainly because they picked Sean Bean to play the part.

**watches video**

Holy crap! I knew that Sean Bean played Boromeer, but I had no idea he had that many similar roles!

OT: Anyway, yeah, it didn't shock me that much. I didn't think he was going to take the deal in the first place. When he did, I was like "oh, I guess they aren't going to kill him." And then... well....

 

[Redd the Sock]

Not really. I mean, the way he went out was a *****, and serves to make us revile Joffery (if you didn't already), and reenforces that this is a series where being a main character doesn't grant you a pass, but I still saw it coming without spoilers. I only saw the show when it hit DVD, but even early on it seemed clear that this wasn't his show, it was his kids'. Eventually he'd take the dirt nap and it'd be up to Jon, Arya, Brann, and (later) Rob to fight the fight.

It made a nice bait and switch.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

I was not shocked. Not because of the Sean Bean factor (he survived Silent Hill, after all, and I read the book first), but because he was the only completely honest, honorable member of the cast. Well, until Brienne of Tarth. But he was just an idiot as well.

Spoiler: Spoilers about Cersei and Ned's fate

Yeah, confront Cersei, telling her you know that the father of her kids was Jaime, then finish it by threatening her. Seriously, it was just the two of them. You could easily just, you know, tell Robert, the king you are serving, and have him "handle" his wife. Instead, you try to give her an "honorable" out, and you get decapitated. Brilliant fucking job.

Well, the point being that he didn't actually want Robert to cold-bloodedly murder Cersei and her 3 children. So, while he would not lie to his lifelong friend, he gave Cersei a head start. He knew exactly what he was risking, he wasn't stupid, he was just prepared to face the consequences if he failed.

and to be honest, if Littlefinger hadn't been such a backstabbing piece of shit, he wouldn't have done.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

If my favorite character (Cersei) is still alive and kicking, all is right with the world.

If she died...

RAGE RAGE RAGE... sudden realization I have never read any of the books or watched any of the episodes and only like the character because she the closest thing the world will ever get to a competent real-life Azula.

Um... I'm not so sure about the "competent" part. Considering that when she finally does start actually running shit in A Feast For Crows, she does ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING WRONG.